Field
The present invention relates to funnel components that allow fluid contents such as powdery, granular, and liquid contents to be packaged and facilitate transfer of the contents from one case to another case or the like, and a manufacturing method for manufacturing packaging containers in which the funnel components are used.
Description of Related Art
As a package that facilitates transfer of contents such as powdery or granular food like instant coffee to a storage container or a tank of a coffee machine, a package as disclosed in Patent Literature 1 has been known. The package for refilling as disclosed in Patent Literature 1 includes a cylindrical container body, a funnel component inserted in an open end portion of the container body, and a membrane for sealing the open end of the container body. When the package for refilling is used, in a state where the membrane portion is in contact with an opening portion of a container, such as a storage container or a tank, to be filled, the package for refilling is pressed against the container to be filled, to break the membrane, thereby allowing the contents to be transferred along an inner surface of the funnel component into the container to be filled.
A flange portion having a flat top surface and a certain width is preferably provided in the open end portion of the container body, in order to assuredly seal a cup-shaped container body with a lid member such as a membrane with stability. A technique associated with a method for forming such a flange portion is disclosed in Patent Literature 2. According to Patent Literature 2, a curled top portion formed in an open end portion of a paper cup is sandwiched and squeezed between an ultrasonic horn and a cup receiving mold, and is simultaneously heated and welded by ultrasonic vibration being applied, thereby forming a cup flange portion having a flat top surface. Other than this technique, a technique for forming a flange portion having a flat top surface by a curled top formed in an open end portion of a paper cup being sandwiched between a pair of molds, and heated and pressed, is known.
Such a packaging container which is filled with contents and in which the contents are packaged may be subjected to an environment where air pressure inside the packaging container becomes different from air pressure outside the packaging container during circulation. In a case where, for example, packaging containers which are filled with contents and in which the contents are packaged in summer in which the temperature is high are in shops in winder in which the temperature is low, air pressure inside the packaging containers is reduced relative to air pressure outside the packaging containers, and the side surface portions of the packaging containers are recessed toward the inside of the packaging containers. Therefore, a problem may arise that the design of the packaging containers is degraded. On the other hand, in a case where, for example, packaging containers which are filled with contents and in which the contents are packaged in a place such as a flat land in which the altitude is relatively low, are circulated and placed in a place in which the altitude is high, air pressure inside the packaging containers is increased relative to air pressure outside the packaging containers, and the side surface portions of the packaging containers expand outward of the packaging containers. Therefore, problems may arise that the design of the packaging containers is degraded and contents are ejected due to, for example, breakage caused by a small impact. In order to solve the problems, in Patent Literature 3, a container is suggested in which a laminated member of the side surface portion of the container is formed so as to be partially separable, and, particularly when an internal pressure is reduced, an inner layer of the laminated member is separated and expand toward the inside of the container, to alleviate reduction of pressure in the container, thereby preventing the side surface portion of the container from being recessed.